Strip of fabric adaptable for tents and capes



Sept. 21, 1937 A, HORN 2,093,889

S TRIP OF FABRIC ADAPTABLE FOR TENTS AND CAPES Filed Jan. 25, 1935 Patented Sept. 21, 1937 PATENT OFFICE STRIP OF FABRIC ADAPTABLE FOR TENTS AND CAPES Arthur Walter Horn, Bretnig, Germany Application January 25, 1935, Serial No. 3,449 In Germany January 2'7, 1934 1 Claim.

Fabric strips adapted for use as tent covers having the shape of equilateral triangles have already been made and used, which were provided with an opening for putting out the head of 5 the occupant, when they were used as a cape, said opening being adapted when not in use to be closed by buttoning it up. These tent covers are however only adapted to form a limited number of tent shapes, their erection being very much hampered by reason of the many head openings provided, of which those not used have to be buttoned up.

The present invention is intended to avoid these defects, and the inventive idea resides in the fact, that the design of the fabric strip contour is of a right angle triangle, and is in order to form a curtain or partition folded over parallel to the right angle sides and buttoned up together.

Such fabric strips are especially suitable to be 20 used as a curtain and capes and are adapted for use in forming any shape of tents, a fact which is in itself very important, by reason that in many cases only a comparatively small number of such fabric strips are at disposal, and because of this reason it is necessary to use very flat and shallow tents for the accommodation of as many people as possible. When this fabric strip is used as a cape for a person it lies around the shoulders in the manner of a usual cape, and it is therefore quite unnecessary to provide any openings allowing the head to protrude. The special proportions of the contour of the thus shaped strip of fabric are .so suitable to their being used as tent covers and as a rain proof cape, that they are long enough for a tent for a fully extended body, as well as providing sufficient weather protection for a human body, even if the areas of the strip are smaller, than they are in case of the known fabric strips of a square shape or of the shape of an equilateral triangle. In this case, if the area of the strip was reduced, the edges and borders would be shortened, and consequently the over all dimensions of the tent would also have to be reduced which would be a disadvantage. The area reduction however presents the advantage of decreased first cost in conjunction with a very considerable reduction of weight.

The appended drawing shows an embodiment of the present invention by way of example, and in it Fig. 1 shows the use of the fabric strip for a tent cover strip.

Fig. 2 shows its use as a cover or clothes bag.

Fig. 3 illustrates its use as a cape and Figs. 4-10 show a few of the shapes of tents it is possible to erect with the fabric strip, diagrammatically.

The essential and characterizing feature for the triangular strip is the right angle. The length of the side a is of such dimensions, that it is sufficient to allow a favourable height of the tent, and in case of flat tents a suflicient width or half width. The length of the triangle side b is in this case about one half of the length of the hypothenuse. As customary, properly bordered holes allowing the tent pegs to be pushed through are provided at the corners. Button holes and buttons as well as eyelets for the guy ropes are provided at suitable points. When the said fabric strip is used as a bed or other cover or as a clothes-bag, the two parts ct and e are folded over on to part 1 and the adjacent hypothenuse border as well as the side border a (Fig. 2) are buttoned up together. When the strip is used as a cape, the same is wrapped around the shoulders with the edge b at the bottom, the hypothenuse of the triangle encircling the neck in the form of a loop and the remainder of the hypothenuse extending down the side of the wearer and overlapping and the overlapping parts are buttoned or fastened together whilst the edge 0. forms the bottom of the front of the cape, as shown in Fig. 3. As the cape lies around the neck and shoulder in the same manner as an ordinary cape, the rain is able to drop off quickly. Notwithstanding this, this cape allows plenty of freedom for walking and full liberty for the use of the arms by reason of the front opening g. It must also be pointed out that this fabric strip is quickly ready to be used as a cape or rainproof cover, as it is attached to the hikers bundle or haversack ready to button up in this shape. According to Fig. 4 two such fabric strips are sufficient to form an open sleeping tent which would be erected with its apex against the wind. Fig. 5 shows a flat gable tent for use as a sleeping tent. Fig. 6 shows a pointed gable tent used as a seating tent, and Fig. 7 shows a rest tent with an inclined roof. Fig. 8 illustrates the fact that square tents and gables can be connected together. Figs. 9 and 10 show modifications of pointed tents.

I claim:-

A device for forming a cape or a tent comprising a sheet of material having the form of a right angle triangle, the edges being unequal, the hypothenuse being twice as long as the shortest edge, fastening means on the hypothenuse and shorter edges for securing said sheet to similar sheets to form a tent and for fastening parts of the hypothenuse edge together, said hypothenuse edge being passed around the neck of the wearer and. secured together down the side of the wearer to form a cape, the shortest edge being arched and constituting the front bottom edge thereof and the remaining edge constituting the back bottom edge.

ARTHUR WALTER HORN. 

